[Bill Burke, is one of North America’s foremost off-road instructors through his Four-Wheeling America program. Here he shares his experience and knowledge on equipping yourself for trail breakdowns. –ed] Contact Bill Burke at 970-858-3468 or visit www.bb4wa.com



In my travels I have to beg and borrow shop floor space. Recently, as I lay on the floor of Columbia Rovers in Portland, OR, packing my front wheel bearings, the shop manager Brent offered me the use of a lift. Huh?? I’ve been a shade tree and big-truck mechanic for so long I wouldn’t know how to use a lift. Brent suggested I throw some dirt on the floor to make it feel like home. As I lay on the floor, listening to the dealership’s elevator music and humming Led Zeppelin, Brent and I began discussing how Rovers have progressed to the point that a lot of people are now carrying a laptop loaded with AutoLogic to help diagnose trailside fault codes.

What if you do break down on the trail and the fault code shows the problem is the accelerator? The computer will diagnose the electrical sub-system (which has many parts) but the mechanical sub-system might also be at fault, or it could be both. In addition to the vacuum pump assembly, the SLABS ECU system or just one of the many switches in the system could be at fault. Do we carry the parts – not likely! So is it worth carrying a computer?

Whether you carry a laptop, we can all agree: When a truck breaks down on the trail, it is crucial to have the tools, spare parts, know-how and problem solving skills to get the truck running. Creativity is especially important on the trail.

The last time I was on the Dusy-Ershim trail [Squaw Valley area in California –ed], a fuel pump quit on one of the trucks. When it died we were 20 miles and two days away from civilization in ether direction. Needless to say we did not have a spare fuel pump. Instead we took stock of the parts we had and put our heads together for some creative thinking.

We ended up drilling the gas cap, threading an airline fitting into it and pressuring the fuel tank with a CO2 tank regulated to 45 psi. Yeah, the field fix was cool, but just as easy would have been to wire in a small electric fuel pump in line in front of the fuel filter and make that. And not many people carry a ‘parts store’ fuel pump as a spare

So what do I carry in the form of tools and spares? Some folks think the best tool is a Ham radio or cell phone. Others indeed think the laptop and AutoLogic system is the way to go. Honestly, electronics fail, batteries run out of juice and just diagnosing the problem is only half the issue.

A well-maintained vehicle is the best tool in the inventory. It is always best to ensure that the parts you use are equal to or better than original equipment, come from a reputable source like Rovers North and are installed by a caring individual – you, your buddy or a qualified mechanic. Keep the Rover running well and it will take care of you. But even the best maintained vehicles have been known to break down on the trail, so it is important to always have tools on board whenever venturing off the beaten path.

My favorite tool is the shop manual. I have a copy of the manual in a large Zip Lock bag stowed in the back of my Rover. I consult it regularly to make sure of torque specs and proper assembly sequence. You may not know how to fix the problem, but a shop manual will help an experienced trail buddy sort your problem out.

I suggest going to a pawn shop or used tool store to pick up tools that will be banging around in the back of your rig. I also use a plastic tackle box that is somewhat waterproof when closed. I have found that the metal ones rust and make a lot of noise. I also use tool rolls and bank money deposit bags to hold the sockets, wrenches and miscellaneous tools in the box.

My trail tool kit has extracted me from many tight spots so I want to share my recommendations with you. For wrenches I carry 8mm up to 19mm, 3/8” to 1-1/4” with special wrenches for odd sizes like the water-pump nut. Adjustable wrenches are always nice to have so I pack two along with a medium pipe wrench (helps with steering rod adjustments and holding things), several pliers types from needle tip to large slip-joint including split ring pliers, locking type and cutters. I have an assortment of “C” type clamps which help with U-joints and holding things still.

In sockets I have a small selection of 1/4” drive, full range of 3/8” drive and the upper sized 1/2” drive with special sockets like a 30mm and 35mm for suspension parts, steering arm nuts and the like. I carry an 18”-1/2” drive flex handle (breaker bar) and a ½” speedy handle – spins lug nuts and other fasteners right off. Throw in some extensions, wobblies, drive adapters (1/4” to 3/8” to 1/2”) and that mostly completes my socket needs.

For files and punches I carry a set that came in a nice roll which includes a brass drift type punch for delicate pounding jobs like wheel bearing race installation, a couple chisels and an assortment of pry bars (saves wear and tear on my screwdrivers).

For hammers I carry a small 2lb sledge, 16oz peen, 8oz peen, and a soft-faced mallet. My hacksaw is a ‘break-down’ type and I carry several blade types, gasket scraper, thread repair file – a four sided file that will help restore all thread type and pitch, “O” ring tool (dental pick type), small puller with assorted bolts, wheel nut socket, 3” sewer cap that I use for wheel seal installation, 25lb extending magnet that helps with extracting broken axle shaft bits, a flexible extending magnet that works great for dipping into differentials and gear boxes to get the small pieces out, blue Loctite, silicon gasket material, Loctite 315 flange sealant (great for axle flange gasket coating), electrical test light and multi-tester.

The red Land Rover jack handle will usually fit over the magnetic tool I use for getting the axle shafts out. Just remember to tape the tool to the handle so it doesn’t stick inside the housing. Speaking of the Land Rover jack, it is the best off-road jack available. Since the Hi-Lift Jack company does not like us using their jack for changing a flat tire, the safest bet is to use the OE jack that comes with the Rover. It has a short body and will lift really high because of the double post hydraulic extension. Take care of that jack.

I carry a small board that slips into my High Lift off-road base to help support the tire changing jack. Under normal situations, make sure to chock the opposite tire when changing flats. In off-road situations make sure the vehicle’s CDL (if you have one) is engaged, set the parking brake, use low reduction and put the auto transmission in Park or a ‘stick’ in gear and chock as many of the other
wheels as you can to keep the vehicle stable. For this reason I carry the flex handle and a deep 6 point wheel nut socket. I don’t mind using the Land Rover wheel nut tool but….. I also carry a ‘bartype’ torque wrench which can take a beating and is nice for very low torque settings that most ½” clicker units can’t get to.

I do carry an assortment of nuts, bolts, fasteners and bits and pieces like washers and extra metal pieces. The tackle box I use to carry my trail tools in came with small plastic boxes, what I imagine are fly and lure boxes. In one I have electrical repair items like wire, connectors, fuses and such. In another I carry items like JB weld, clamps, sealants, glues and the like. In the last of the three I have all the extra bolts and kit. To round it all off, I carry a roll of rags, a spill kit (container to catch all the waste oil and debris and oil eating enzyme), hand cleaner and nitrile gloves.

I may have left something out or you may carry something different. I know my kit is not exhaustive compared to some folks I’ve seen on the trail! I try to only carry the tools that are commonly used and not the whole Craftsman catalog. Pay attention to the tools you use in the “home shop” and add them into the trail box just in case. Consider adding the above list as a starting point and carry the tools that make sense to you, even if that includes a laptop! See you on the trail.


Rovers North Tool Roll with 3 socket wrench pockets
RNTR02 $ 29.99
Tools not included

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